Review - A Fiances Guide to First Wives and Murder

 This is one of my favorite historical cozy mystery series.  The specific sub-genre is chock full of many good series, but this series is delightful and I'm a fan.  Check out what has won me over.

Previous reviews:

1) A Lady's Guide to Ettiquette and Murder 

3) the Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder 

Author: Dianne Freeman

Copyright: July 2011 (Kensington Books) 306 pgs

Series: 4th in Countess of Harleigh Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical cozy mystery, amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Frances Wynn, the wealthy Countess of Harleigh

Setting: Victorian era, London and countryside, England

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb: "For Frances Wynn, widow to the late Earl of Harleigh, life has a cosmopolitan flavor of late. No sooner has she sent her mother and daughter off on a shopping trip to Paris than she and her fiancé, George Hazelton, are socializing with visiting members of the Russian royal family. Amid this whirlwind, scandal also comes calling when Inspector Delaney turns up outside Frances’s house with a young French woman with a shocking claim: she is Mrs. George Hazelton.

 As the future Mrs. George Hazelton, Frances assumes the woman is either lying or demented. “Mrs. Hazelton,” aka Irena, makes other outrageous statements. Among them, she insists that she is the illegitimate daughter of Russian royalty, that she has been abducted many times, and that someone is sending her threatening letters. When George arrives, he clarifies that he is certainly not married to Irena—though he can confirm her royal parentage. But even as he agrees to investigate whether Irena’s life is in danger, her claim proves tragically true. Irena is found strangled in Frances’s garden.

 To uncover a killer—and clear their own names—Frances and George must determine which of Irena’s outlandish stories were based in fact. And as the search reaches a shocking conclusion, they may find that villainy lurks all too close to home . . ." 

My Thoughts:

Frances Wynn, one of my favorite heroines, loved her husband and has grieved his death. So many historical mysteries have the deceased husband as unpleasant and the woman is relieved, so this is a pleasant change.  She is newly engaged to George Hazelton who had become her best friend over the previous books, and was a good friend of her late husband. They both are tested by the surprise woman claiming to be George's wife, but also by societal norms around the situation.  

The setting of Victorian England is always well portrayed and creates an immersive backdrop.  The plot has several twists and turns along the way. The climax had some tense moments and was well done.  This is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery that fully incorporates the era and finely realized characters.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Here is an interview with the author.

https://youtu.be/rhNj61hjFFU

Review - Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens

I loved Andrea Penrose's Lady Arianna Regency mystery series and I jumped on board this series of hers with the first book.  It continues to be one on my go-to series.  

1)  Murder on Swan Lake (review here) 

2)  Murder at Halfmoon Gate (review here) 

3)  Murder at Kensington Palace (review here) 

4)  Murder at Queen's Landing (review here) 

Author interview (click here) 

A thrilling new mystery novel from the acclaimed author of Murder at Queen’s Landing, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anne Perry! The wedding of the Earl of Wrexford and Lady Charlotte Sloane is not-to-be-missed, but the murder of a brilliant American scientist threatens their plans—and their lives…

Author: Andrea Penrose

Copyright: Sept 2021 (Kensington Books) 250 pgs

Series: 5th in Wrexford & Sloan Mystery series

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: historical Suspense, hsitorical amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Widowed Charlotte Sloane, a satirical cartoonist under the name A.J. Quill, estranged from her family

Setting: Regency Era, London England

Obtained Through: Netgalley

Book Blurb: "One advantage of being caught up in a whirl of dress fittings and decisions about flower arrangements and breakfast menus is that Charlotte Sloane has little time for any pre-wedding qualms. Her love for Wrexford isn’t in question. But will being a wife—and a Countess—make it difficult for her to maintain her independence—not to mention, her secret identity as famed satirical artist A.J. Quill?

 

Despite those concerns, there are soon even more urgent matters to attend to during Charlotte and Wrexford’s first public outing as an engaged couple. At a symposium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a visiting botanist suffers a fatal collapse. The traces of white powder near his mouth reveal the dark truth—he was murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Charlotte and the Earl learn of the victim’s involvement in a momentous medical discovery. With fame and immense fortune at stake, there’s no shortage of suspects, including some whose ruthlessness is already known. But neither Charlotte nor her husband-to-be can realize how close the danger is about to get—or to what lengths this villain is prepared to go."

Lady Charlotte is approaching her marriage to Wrex, which is a major change in her life: giving up her autonomy. She feels compelled to look into the murder for justice's sake.  She also has a reunion with her remaining sibling and is a ball of nerves over it. Great Aunt Alison is a stellar character and continues to be a stalwart supporter of Charlotte. Raven and Hawk, the two street orphans she had taken in years before are becoming shrewd young men who still have enough "hood" in them to help investigate. They seem to realize more and more how much Charlotte means to them as she tries to protect them in this book.  The Earl of Wrexford, Wrex for short, is determined to ensure the safety of Charlotte and the boys as they approach the wedding. I love how he accepts her independence and won't make dictates to her, just expresses his concerns. 

Kit Sheffield is Wrex's best friend who is trying to be more responsible and has invested in starting a shipping company. Kit is head-over-heels for his business partner but feels unworthy.  Lady Cordelia, is the boy's math tutor and Kit's business partner in the shipping business. 

The setting is partially the large and impressive Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew Gardens) and the rough and dangerous shipping docks.  Both the gardens and the docks are meticulously recreated on the page so you are immersed.

The plot is two-fold: Find the murderer and thereby hopefully save the medical discovery that the visiting botanist intended to be free to save lives.  The suspects bring about many twists in the story and keep the pacing moving along.

 

The killer confrontation/reveal is an exciting race with danger and a daring attempt to catch the killer.  The climax is well written and quite tense and lives up to the established high bar set by previous books in the series.  The wrapup is the wedding and is delightful.

There are so many aspects to this book that the pages fly by.  The mystery is an exciting race to bring justice as well as save lives with recovering the medical discovery. The killer was a surprise as there were many twists surrounding the suspects.  Wrex and Charlotte are realistic in their approaching joining their lives.  Their balanced relationship is touching and heartwarming.  Raven and Hawk being accepted by Wrex and his including them in his life is equally touching.    The wedding at the end isn't to be missed for fans.

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

Here is a video on the gardens and their importance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOfA1JhLyg

Review - Murder at Queen's Landing

I have been a fan of this series from the very beginning.  Here are my previous reviews for you:

First book, Murder on Swan Lake (click here)

Second book, Murder at Halfmoon Gate (click here) 

Third book, Murder at Kensington Palace (click here)

Plus an interview with the author (click here).

"Andrea Penrose transports readers to Regency England with the story of Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford who must untangle a dangerous web of secrets and lies that will call into question how much they really know about the people they hold dear—and about each other…"  

Sounds like another rip-roaring adventure for our duo.  Apparently, this addition to the Wrexford and Sloane series got very mixed responses from readers.  Continue on to find out what I thought.

Author: Andrea Penrose

Copyright: Sept 2020 (Kensington Books) 370 pgs

Series: 4th in Wrexford & Sloane Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy Mystery

Main Characters: Charlotte Sloane, widow who makes a living drawing satirical cartoons

Setting: Regency era, London, England

Obtained Through: Personal purchase

Book Blurb: "The murder of a shipping clerk…the strange disappearance of trusted friends…rumors of corruption within the powerful East India Company…all add up to a thrillingly dark mystery…

 

When Lady Cordelia, a brilliant mathematician, and her brother, Lord Woodbridge, disappear from London, rumors swirl concerning fraudulent bank loans and a secret consortium engaged in an illicit—and highly profitable—trading scheme that threatens the entire British economy. The incriminating evidence mounts, but for Charlotte and Wrexford, it’s a question of loyalty and friendship. And so they begin a new investigation to clear the siblings’ names, uncover their whereabouts, and unravel the truth behind the whispers.

 

As they delve into the murky world of banking and international arbitrage, Charlotte and Wrexford also struggle to navigate their increasingly complex feelings for each other. But the clock is ticking—a cunning mastermind has emerged . . . along with some unexpected allies—and Charlotte and Wrexford must race to prevent disasters both economic and personal as they are forced into a dangerous match of wits in an attempt to beat the enemy at his own game."

Lady Charlotte is still a force to be reckoned with but she has to face some tough decisions in this story. In particular, she stiffens her spine and tells her Great Aunt Alison the truth about herself and the boys. I love Alison, she is a stellar character and I want more of her. Alison accepts everything about Charlotte without blinking.  Of course, Raven and Hawk are favorites. They are blossoming and becoming shrewd young men.  The Earl of Wrexford, Wrex for short, often finds his rough edges are smoothed a bit by Charlotte and he isn't sure what to make of that. 

Kit Sheffield is Wrex's best friend who is trying to be more responsible rather than waste all his money gambling.  Lady Cordelia, the math tutor for the boys, ends up in the center of the intrigue and over her head.  Lord Woodbridge, Cordelia's brother, was the source of entangling Cordelia and himself in the deadly trouble.  The dirt poor street urchins, Skinny, Harry, One-Eye, and Alice the eel girl, who are friends of Raven and Hawk, get a change in their fortunes that made me so happy.

London is always replicated with such precision in the series, I feel like I entered a time machine.  In this book, we get to visiting Wrexford's country estate and the descriptions are perfect so you feel the country breeze.

The plot is complicated as it unravels involving new technology for that era in a criminal enterprise.  Excellent plot. The complexity did make it slow in a few short spots. In particular -the details about mathematics and design of a machine to more accurately calculate math functions, although integral to the plot, did slow down those sections.  I didn't find those rough patches much to discourage me.

The killer confrontation was wonderfully tense and dangerous, as I have come to expect from this series.  The wrap-up has some surprises.  

Overall I found this a delightful addition to the series, although a bit different due to the complex plot.  There was a fair bit of idioms and period phrases that might detract for some readers, but they didn't bother me.  I enjoyed the use of real history and the developing science of the era.  That makes the time period more real to me. I love how Charlotte is creating her family with the boys, and how Wrexford is softening. The slow-burn romance is well done and believable to me, while some might want things to move faster.

Rating: Excellent - I enjoyed it!  Consider giving it a try.

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